Cain struggles to contain allegations fallout

In this Oct. 31, 2011 file photo, Republican presidential candidate, Herman Cain speaks at the National Press Club in Washington. Herman Cain denies he's changed his story as he struggles to contain the fallout from sexual harassment allegations from the 1990s when he led the National Restaurant Association. The Republican presidential contender's explanations raise new questions about his ability to manage a political crisis, even as he's been rising in the polls.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican presidential candidate Herman Cain denied on Tuesday that he's changing his story as he struggles to contain the fallout from sexual harassment allegations that could threaten his recently surging campaign.

The White House contender's contradictory explanations over two days have raised questions about details of the allegations from back in the 1990s and about his current ability to manage a crisis in the national spotlight. The controversy, relating to his time as head of the National Restaurant Association, has surfaced just as he's risen in national polls in the GOP nomination fight two months before the leadoff Iowa caucuses.

His evolving answers to questions in a host of media interviews this week led at least one rival campaign to suggest he's not being upfront about the accusations.

"If you are the front-runner and you plan to be the nominee ... be forthcoming so that you are vetted, and we don't get into a situation where you're our nominee and we find out things after the fact," John Brabender, a strategist for Rick Santorum's campaign, said at forum hosted by National Journal. "We're still waiting for clarification from the Cain campaign."

But others took a pass. "I've been focused on policy. I don't follow some of the things that you guys seem fascinated by," former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said during an appearance in Iowa.

.Will it all undermine Cain in Iowa and beyond? Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad was willing to hear the candidate out.

"Iowans are pretty fair-minded people and just because somebody makes an accusation — anybody that is in a high-profile position is potential to have people make these kinds of accusations," Branstad said. "I think Iowans will, you know, carefully look at the real situation and not jump to any conclusions."

And there was one indication the controversy might not hurt Cain's support among the conservative Republicans who have been driving his bid: His fundraising surged on Monday. Mark Block, his chief of staff, said the campaign raised as much as $250,000 in a day, and Cain said it was one of his best fundraising days ever.

Over the past two days, Cain has admitted he knew of one agreement between the restaurant association and a woman who accused him of sexual harassment. He has said the woman initially asked for a large financial settlement but ultimately received two to three months' pay as part of a separation agreement. Cain also acknowledged remembering one of the woman's accusations against him, saying he stepped close to her to make a reference to her height, and told her she was the same height as his wife.

He has said he is not aware of agreements or settlements with any other women, though Politico — which first disclosed the allegations — reported that the trade group had given settlements to at least two female employees who accused him of inappropriate sexual behavior.

Beyond that, Cain has offered a series of sometimes-conflicting statements over what happened and didn't happen, and what he knew about financial payouts.

By Tuesday, Cain was chalking up the confusion to semantics, saying he was aware of an "agreement" but not a "settlement."

He acknowledged he'd made the problem worse for himself over the course of the previous day.

"If I could do it over," Cain said, "I would start with the last interview I did last night and make that the first interview of the day."

He was referring to his appearance on Fox News, where he spoke at length to Greta Van Susteren about details he had not divulged during at least three events earlier in the day — and indeed had reversed himself.

Over the course of 24 hours, Cain first said he had no knowledge of settlements with any women who had complained about inappropriate sexual behavior. He later admitted he knew of one agreement.

He spent Tuesday much as he did Monday, going from interview to interview to defend himself.

The damage control amounted to a real-time crisis management test for a candidate who is just introducing himself to the country and who has based his campaign on his decades-long background in business management that includes stints at Godfather's Pizza, Pillsbury, Coca-Cola and the Department of the Navy.

At a time of 9.1 percent unemployment, Cain is pitching himself as a businessman who can solve problems.

He already was taking heat over the management of his campaign, insisting that his lack of staff in early voting states simply amounted to an unconventional approach, even as former employees griped about a candidate with no plan. Now, his approach to solving his own political predicament has raised questions about how he perform as president handling the nation's crisis.

"Where he has run into some trouble is, 'does the story change?' Because when the story changes, people equate that with guilt," said Eric Dezenhall, who runs a top crisis communications firm. "The very act of a change in and of itself can suggest that there's a problem."

"Contrasts are big news, and one way to touch up someone claiming business competence is to dredge up something that says it's not true, that the competence is a phantom," Dezenhall said.

Cain has promised to surround himself with professional staff if elected president.

"Part of being a leader is surrounding yourself with good people and that is what I do," he said during a recent campaign appearance in Alabama, explaining that he doesn't believe a candidate needs to be an expert in every policy area to be a good president.

But, since the harassment allegations became public, Cain's staff has contributed to the conflicting accounts — even offering flat denials that there was any factual basis to the story.

Separately, chief of staff Mark Block has a lawyer investigating whether a charity he founded, Prosperity USA, improperly gave goods and services to Cain's presidential campaign earlier this year.

On the harassment allegations, Cain initially told The Associated Press that he couldn't remember any details of any accusations. Hours later, he acknowledged remembering the one woman's complaint.

By Tuesday, he attributed the lapses in memory to being under so much pressure during a day of media appearances.

"After 12 hours over the day, many events, many interviews, I was able to gradually recall more and more details about what happened 12 years ago," he said. "I wasn't given the opportunity to think about it for a day before I was forced to start answering questions."

Politico said it had started asking Cain's campaign about the allegations on Oct. 20, eleven days before the story was published late Sunday.

Cain said Monday that Politico had also provided his campaign with the name of a second woman who, Politico reported, also received a settlement after complaining of sexually inappropriate encounters with Cain.

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So Perry is giving speeches so bizarre that it leads many to speculate that he was under the influence of drugs, half of America thinks Romney belongs to a cult, and Herman Cain has been accused of sexual harassment not once but twice! This is why primaries are so much fun.

For months the GOP has been crowing about how polls indicate that a generic Republican can beat President Obama, well what many GOP faithful are now learning is that "Generic Republican" is not running for the office of President. Also Jesus and Ronald Regan are not running so it looks like GOP primary voters will get to pick from the individuals mentioned above. Unlike "Generic Republican" real republicans have histories, ideas (usually bad ones) they have to defend, and political opponents.

What I can't figure out is why do primary voters or any voters for that matter care if Romney is a Mormon, Perry gives odd speeches, and Cain has been accused of sexual harassment? One would think that Romney's flipflopping, Perry's 20% flat tax, and Cain's 9-9-9 tax scheme would be much more damaging to their campaigns. These three individuals much like the GOP as a whole are bankrupt in the policy ideas department and that is what is important not who accused Cain of what in the 1990's.

Who has Herman Cain sexually harassed is not an important question. The big question is, where is his birth certificate? I think he was really born in Algeria, or some other African nation, you know because he is black, is that racist? I demand proof of his birth! And not some flimsy proof like a birth announcement or a state issued birth certificate, but REAL proof.

This will go viral and spread like the plague. All of the details will be out in 72 hours. Cain is done. This story was leaked by someone in management at the National Restaurant Association according to one of the lawyers who represented one of the ladies in one of the two complaints, Joel Bennett, a major heavy hitter in Employment and Labor Law who is one of the best lawyers in the country in that field. Cain, go join Perry, Bachman, and Santorum (Google santorum it is hilarious), and the other bottom feeders of the Republican presidential circus. This story has legs and Cain will be out in a week. The Republican National Committee was never going to let this guy get the nomination so they took him out by having someone at the National Restaurant Association leak it, because Cain would have been slaughtered in the general election and they knew it. Very clever. Romney now rolls.

"I didn't remember- it was twelve years ago." "I didn't remember because I was told it was an agreement, not a settlement." "I gradually remembered over 24 hours." "I made a gesture and said, 'You're the same height as my wife.'" "I never harassed anyone." Does he not know that every major candidate hires people to dig up whatever dirt they can find about the other candidates, back to playing doctor in kindergarten? Does he not know that some gotcha organization is going to find the two women (and maybe others) and pay enough money to get every sordid detail recounted on video?

AGN is only reporting a story that every other newspaper and all of the electronic media in the country is running, except maybe Faux News. If you want to subscribe to a right wing rag sheet try the Washington Times. This guy is a fraud and he just got made. Tomorrow if you have a job, get your lunch box, break out your ham sandwich, and turn on Rush Limbaugh in your old pickup or mobile home. It will be OK.

Obummer is in full campaign mode and has done nuthing to better our economy. He's a good speaker with a telepromter and he certainly has some skeletons in his closet, including himself. The only logical choice for the GOP and America is Ron Paul. Wake up people.

If either one or two women break their confidelity pledges and go public, the tabloids and the old media will have a field day with their reputuations. Rumors will explode and these two women will be branded. The shark lawyer will feast on the publicity, and likely write a book on his explotation of the women.
$35000 is on cheap for sign a document and keept quiet. Will SDK, the deposed socialist IMF director, apparently hit on an African and her reputation became the issue. If these two women want a new reputation, just join the ranks of the sexual harassment claiments. Either way, they are in the oven and bakiing.
Will this one lady who is dying to tell her story the money back? Doubtful.

If either one or two women break their confidelity pledges and go public, the tabloids and the old media will have a field day with their reputuations. Rumors will explode and these two women will be branded. The shark lawyer will feast on the publicity, and likely write a book on his explotation of the women.
$35000 is on cheap for sign a document and keept quiet. Will SDK, the deposed socialist IMF director, apparently hit on an African and her reputation became the issue. If these two women want a new reputation, just join the ranks of the sexual harassment claiments. Either way, they are in the oven and bakiing.
Will this one lady who is dying to tell her story the money back? Doubtful.

The interesting fact is these women received severence pay. They did not receive a payoff for the allegations, they received money to move on and harass another boss. Had this story had any legs there would have been a settlement, not severence.

Media is Broke! Liberalism does not sell - it never has! That should tell you something. Soros and Media Matters alone with other Tax Payer Dollars are propping up the Main Stream Liberal Media. Journalism is dead - greed is alive and well and the same thing happening in DC is happening in Media! Now, they are shooting for FOX and 100 others who profit on the TRUTH!

Hey, I saw where one of the women leveling the charges against Cain has asked for the gag order to be lifted and "allow her to talk openly about her allegations". The AP article goes on to say "an encounter with Cain made her uncomfortable working there". Seriously? Made her uncomfortable? I for one want the order lifted so we can get this out in the open and address the issue. Nobody, not Clinton, not Cain, not Bush and not Obama should have to respond to anonymous sources. If you are going to level the charge be prepared to defend the charge

Having GM, (managed) in several of the big corporations - Whataburger & Jack in The Box , I can assure you that sexual allegation's are indeed handled just like Cain says - HR takes care of the problem to keep it out of the media. Most GMs have no idea what , who or when. They are ask to give a statement and the case is settled without asking HOW ! No one wants the Liberal Media to blaster accusations on the front page like they do here with the Perp Walk Photos!

You have it backwards DML, the woman is the one asking to be able to talk and defend herself. Cain is going around calling her a liar and there is nothing she can do about it because of the settlement. She is the one that is not able to defend herself. It looks to me as though either both sides should be silenced or both should be allowed to talk.

And I don't care what you call it, agreement, severance, a settlement, a gift, they were given money to go away quietly. And yes definitely sometimes it is cheaper to just pay the money and avoid the legal costs, but 35k in the 90s does at least raise an eyebrow.

Do you even read posts or just jump in there and spout off.
"I saw where one of the women leveling the charges against Cain has asked for the gag order to be lifted and "allow her to talk openly about her allegations"
Yep, that is what I said.

There are a couple of interesting details about this story.
The first is that apparently, far from being a left wing press hack job, Politico, the online news source that broke the story, actually gave the Cain people ten days of warning before releasing the story.

For my money the fact that Cain had over a week to get his story straight and didn't, speaks to his teams inability to run a solid campaign.

The second interesting detail is that a second Cain scandal is brewing in the wings. It seems that a corporation set up by Cain's campaign manager has given over $40,000 dollars in goods and services to Cain. Apparently, the contributions were done in an illegal manner.

This is another sign that Cain's campaign people may not have what it takes to run a serious national campaign.